Last night at approximately 6pm, just after the evening prayer, the Israeli Occupation Forces invaded Beit Ommar. 4 jeeps, including one containing Shabak (Israeli intelligence) and an armed Humvee invaded Beit Ommar, population 15,000.

For over an hour the IOF broke into homes and ransacked them. They also shot copious amounts of tear gas and rubber bullets and threw over a dozen percussion grenades at young shebab who had come out into the street. They also shot tear gas into nearby homes, not only in violation of international law, but in violation of the IOF’s own procedural protocols. They raided and occupied the home of Mohammed Sabarneh, holding his family in one room as they tore open his couches, broke … Continue reading

Today, PSP and other international and Israeli activists joined over 400 people in celebrating the wedding of Mohamed Brajegeli from Wadi an Nis, a village near Um Salamuna, on the land that is being confiscated for the construction of the Apartheid Wall and terminal. The people from Wadi an Nis and Um Salamuna have been demonstrating here weekly, with hundreds of people peacefully gathering.

Men and Women of all ages came to today’s demonstration, including elderly farmers who will be losing all of their agricultural land either by the bulldozers or by annexation to the illegal settlement Efrat, nearby. The people … Continue reading

At 2am, January 25, 3 jeeps and 13 soldiers from the Israeli Occupation Forces invaded the village of Beit Ommar. The IOF placed an explosive on and blew open the door of Waheed Abu Maria’s home. On the other side of the door was the room where his 4 small children were sleeping. They then forced themselves into the room where they handcuffed his 17 year old son, Hamze, and beat him in the head with their rifles, though he was later released. Waheed was then handcuffed and forced into a jeep, where his family reported he was beaten severely.

The same night, 6 men from the neighboring village of Beit Fajjar were also … Continue reading

On January 23 an Israeli army tank and two bulldozers came to the land of Ahmed Mahmoud Qamir and destroyed his large and relatively productive farm. His house was also blown up by the Israeli Occupation Forces. The IOF told the family that the area was being used for cover by Palestinian fighters firing rockets at Israeli cities nearby, though there was no evidence of this and nothing was found in the area.

Since the Gaza “withdrawal” Israeli Occupation Forces have frequently entered Palestinian cities in Gaza and destroyed large tracts of land used by the people of Gaza for much-needed income and food. It is widely believed that this is part of an … Continue reading

Yousef Abu Maria was first arrested in June 2006 for organizing non-violent demonstrations against the Apartheid Wall in Beit Ommar. After nearly 2 months he was brought before a military court and “sentenced” to 6 months in prison (including “time served”). He was not tried in a court, nor was he given an opportunity to defend himself. This is because Yousef is being held in Administrative Detention, an extra-legal option for the Shabak (Israeli intelligence) to hold Palestinians indefinitely without trial. Last week, when Yousef was scheduled to be released, the Shabak requested in a military court that he be held an additional 6 months as a “security risk”. It is nearly impossible … Continue reading

from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

2007 is set to be a particularly hard year for the Palestinian farmers of the South Hebron Hills, who have already had much of their land annexed by illegal Israeli settlements and face frequent violence and harrassment from Israeli settlers and the IOF.

OCHA states: “Over the last two years Hebron has suffered from drought and water scarcity. In 2006, the rains came two months late (end of December). Water for cisterns may be sufficient if there is additional rain (a minimum of 350mm is needed). So far average household cisterns (80m3) are half-full.

The late onset of the rainy season has had severe consequences for herders, affecting approximately 150,000 heads of … Continue reading

Today, PSP, international and Israeli activists from Ta’ayush accompanied farmers in Tuba, near the village of Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills, as they plowed their land. Settlers from the illegal outpost Havat Ma’on have been terrorizing the residents of Tuba for years now, attempting to keep the residents of Tuba from using their land. While one group stayed with the people of Tuba, another group of activists were called to Imneizil which is another small community in the South Hebron Hills. When the activists arrived there were 4 settlers, some armed and accompanied by three attack dogs, who were threatening and harassing the farmers. One of the settlers called the Israeli army … Continue reading

Today, PSP committees from Beit Ommar, Al-Jab’a and Al-Khadr, as well as International and Israeli activists joined over 300 people from Um Salamuna to demonstrate against the continued confiscation of their land by the construction of the Apartheid Wall. The people were addressed by the head of the Village Council and other PSP committee members about the impact The Wall will have on theirs and other villages. The men and women then prayed on the land and marched peacefully back to the village.

Um Salamuna will lose over 700 dunums of land, much of it expropriated to the illegal settlement Efrat. It is clear that the path … Continue reading

This Friday, January 19th, at 11am, the people of Um Salamuna will be joined by Palestinian activists from PSP committees in neighboring villages as well as international and Israeli activists as they again demonstrate against the construction of the Apartheid Wall on their land. The people will gather at the edge of the village and proceed to the land currently being bulldozed for Friday’s prayer.

In a demonstration Monday, two people were injured when the Israeli Army beat peaceful demonstrators. Yesterday, the head of the city council in Um Salamuna said that they would continue to peacefully demonstrate so that “the world knows that we want peace and they are stealing our land.”

On January 15, 2007 the Israeli Army began construction on the Apartheid Wall in Um Salamuna. The Army says The Wall is being built in the area to protect the illegal settlement Efrat which was constructed on Um Salamuna’s land over a decade ago. The Wall is not being constructed along the edge of the settlement land, but rather snakes through the land of Um Salamuna on an incomprehensible path, taking 300 dunums of agricultural land and cutting off at least one resident’s house from the rest of the village.

At 9 in the morning, the PSP commmittee of Um Salamuna along with other residents went to … Continue reading